Self grading

I understand the value in self-evaluation, it gets the student to think about their progress in the class and forces them to reflect on what they have learned in the class. But I can't get over my pessimistic view that the teacher is just trying to get their students to do the teacher's job. The teacher gives the grades and evaluates the student's progress: that is their job...that is what they get paid for. Sure it is good for the student to have an idea about their progress, but ultimately that determination is done by the professor. Most students are going to believe that they did their best and achieved progress...that is what we do in each assignment and paper we turn in. That is precisely why students aren't the best judges on their work...they put time and energy into making the best when before they turned them in...why else would they turn it in if it wasn't the best they thought they could do? I understand not wanting to read everything carefully and add comments and then come to the conclusion of a grade, but that is the teacher's job...not the students. We do our job all semester long by doing the assignments and turning them in, it should not be up to the student to grade themselves...we cannot be objective graders for ourselves. It's just not possible...no matter how much one believes in the honor code.